Dental tool.



P. W. WALLACE.

DENTAL TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1913.

amumkoz nivirnn sraras PATENT curios.

FRANK W. WALLACE, 0F CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

DENTAL TOOL.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK WV. WALLACE, I). D.5., a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in thecounty of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Dental Tools; and I do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to improvements in dental tools and moreparticularly in tools for holding artificial teeth or facings thereforwhile grinding the same.

One object of the invention is to provide a tooth facing holder whichwill automatically adjust itself to facings of varying contour andfirmly clamp them between the jaws thereof without danger of crushing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of this characterin which the facing seats are interchangeable and the tips of which areadjustable.

ith these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and the combination and arrangement ofparts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofone form of this improved tool; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal verticalsection thereof showing a fac-v ing in position between the jaws of thetool; Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the tool carrying end ofone jaw with the tooth facing in position thereon and shown in section;Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4Lt of Fig. 2; Fig. 5is a detail perspective view of the tooth carrying plate or tip; F ig. 6is a similar view of a slightly different form thereof; Fig. 7 is aperspective view of another form of the tool; Fig. 8 is a perspectiveview of a tooth facing having laterally extending securing or anchoringpins.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 the tooth holding tool orvise is shown composed of two arms 1 and 10 having one end curved withthe terminals of said curved ends hingedly connected thus forming hingedjaws. The jaw l which will be termed the tooth carrying jaw has alongitudinally extending socket 2 on its outer face extending from thefree end of said jaw inward, said socket being here shown Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed May 1, 1913.

Patented July 15, 1913. Serial No. 764,898.

open at both ends. Removably mounted in this socket 2 is a toothcarrying tip 8 in the form of a metal bar or plate having a. springtongue 4: at its inner end for frictionally engaging one wall of thesocket and thus holding the tip in operative position in the socket.This tip 3 is enlarged at its outer end, said enlargement 5 providing onopposite side edges of the tip shoulders 6 which forms stops forlimiting the insertion of the tip in the socket. Swiveled on thisenlargement 5 is a tooth engaging element in the form of a plate 7having a laterally extending stud 8 on one face which extends through anaperture in said enlargement 5 and has its outer end upset as shownclearly in Fig. 2. A pin 9 extends parallel with the plate 7 and isfixed to the face thereof opposite that from which the stud 8 projects,said pin being preferably secured to said plate by a web 9. This pin isadapted to slidingly engage what is known as a Steele facing. Thispeculiar style of facing shown at A has in its rear face an undercutlongitudinally extending slot B to receive a securing pin on the backingto which the facing is to be applied while in other forms of facinglaterally extending securing pins are provided as shown in Fig. 8. Theplate or tip 7 here shown may be removed and a similar plate 3 such asthat shown in Fig. 6 substituted when it is desired to clamp 21 facinghaving lateral se curing pins. This plate 3 is bent laterallyintermediately of its ends to form socket engaging means but it may beprovided with a tongue if desired. The enlargement 5 of the tip 3 isprovided with longitudinally extending parallel slots 9 and 9 and atransverse slot 9 communicates with the slots 9 which are designed toreceive the pins of the facing, an aperture 9 being provided at onecorner of said plate. The tooth gripping or holding jaw 10 has acylindrical socket 11 011 its outer face with a slot 12 extendingtransversely thereof for a purpose to be described. The tooth clampingelement is here shown in the form of a cushion carrying member 13composed of a plate having its opposite sides bent down wardly andinwardly to receive and hold a rubber or other yieldable tooth engagingcushion 14 as shown in Fig. 1. This cushion 14: is designed to yieldablygrip a tooth or facing and prevent danger of crushing thereof whenextreme pressure is applied to the jaws of the tool. This member 13 hasa shank 15 extending parallel with the cushion 141: and adapted to fitand rotate within the socket 11 to adapt the clamping element toautomatically adjust itself to the outer face of the tooth or facing tobe clamped. A pin 16 extends laterally from the shank 15 and projectsthrough the slot 12 in the socket 11 and engages the opposite ends ofthe slot 12 to limit the rotation of the clamping member in oppositedirec tions.

In the use of this tool a facing to be ground is engaged with a tip 7which is inserted within the socket 2 of the jaw 1 and the cushioncarrying clamping jaw 10 is then closed upon said facing, the rubbercushioning member thereof automatically adjusting itself to the contourof the facing to be clamped, the operator holding the jaws in operativeposition between his fingers and the facing may be then convenientlyground.

In the form shown in Fig. 7, the jaw 1 is provided at its free end withtooth receiving means here shown in the form of a longitudinallyextending slot 17 and an aperture 18 into which the pins B on the toothA shown in Fig. 8 are adapted to extend and thereby hold said tooth inposition to be clamped by the opposing jaw 1O at the free end of whichis mounted a gripping element constructed similarly to that shown on theother figures with the exception that the cushioning member is omittedand the tooth is gripped bet-ween the two metal plates. The mounting ofthis partially rotatable member 18 is slightly different from that shownin the other figures the socket 11 being provided at its outer end witha longitudinally extending finger 19 and the front end of the pin orshank 15 is enlarged as shown at 20 and the inner end of saidenlargement is recessed as shown at 21 to receive the finger 19 whichengages the op posite ends of said recess and limits the rotary movementof the clamping element 18.

lVhile I have described my invention with more or less minuteness asregards details and as being embodied in certain precise forms, I do notdesire to be limited thereto unduly any more than is pointed out in theclaims. On the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form,construction and arrangement, the omission of immaterial elements andsubstitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or renderexpedient.

I claim as my invention:

1. An instrument for holding artificial teeth comprising cooperatingjaws, one of said jaws having an automatically adjustable tooth.gripping member and the other jaw having means for detachable connectionwith a tooth.

An instrument for holding artificial teeth comprising cooperating jaws,an oscillating tooth engaging member mounted on one of said jaws, saidja and member one having a socket and the other a shank. adapted to fitin said socket, said socket having slot therein, and a pin extendinglaterally trom said shank and projecting through said slot to limit theturning movement of the shank in opposite directions.

An instrument for holding artificial teeth comprising cooperating jaws,one of said aws having a socket, and a tooth carrying tip removablymounted in said socket, said tip having means for frictionally engagingthe wall of said socket to hold it in operative position.

4t. An instrument for holding artificial teeth comprising cooperatingjaws, one of said jaws having a tooth carrying tip removably mountedthereon, a swiveled plate mounted on said tip and having a toothengaging member.

5. An instrument for holding artificial teeth comprising cooperatingjaws, one of said jaws having a socket, a plate having means forifrictionally engaging said socket to hold it in operative position,shoulders near the opposite end of said plate for limiting its insertionwithin the socket, a plate swiveled on said. plate beyond said shouldersand having thereon a tooth engaging element.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FRANK XV. lVALLACE. iVitnesses L. M THOMAS, S. R. Mcl/VHoR'rER.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Barents, Washington, 1). G.

